A combination of the drugs pazopanib and paclitaxel shows promise in slowing anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC), according to a new study in Science Translational Medicine (January 2, 2013, Vol. 5:166, p. 166ra3). The two drugs together resulted in greater anticancer activity in ATC than either drug alone, lead researcher Keith Bible, MD, PhD, a Mayo Clinic oncologist, noted in a press release. Anaplastic thyroid cancer is a rare but aggressive
RICHMOND, CA – If only all of our experiences in the dental chair could have started with the avuncular and kindly Daniel Tanita, DDS, a dental version of TV’s Mr. Rogers. He lifts his first patient of the day, 6-year-old Guadalupe, with a comic groan and nestles her into the blue dentist’s chair, the first time she’s ever been in one. “We’re just going to look at your teeth,” he
Vermont health officials say they support the use of dental sealants to help prevent tooth decay in children, despite a recent Pew Center on the States report that gave the state poor marks. The report gave Vermont a C grade for its sealant program in 2012, although recent data show the state far exceeds the national average in the number of third-graders who have at least one sealant, according to
The iTero imaging system from Align Technology is now available as a single hardware platform with software options for restorative or orthodontic procedures. The new iTero has been engineered with new optics and algorithms that increase the speed of capture to reduce the overall scanning time, noted Timothy Mack, Align Technology vice president and general manager of iTero, in a press release. The new scanning wand and fiber-optic cord are
Quest Diagnostics has sold substantially all the assets of its OralDNA Labs salivary diagnostics business to Access Genetics, a clinical laboratory with advanced molecular diagnostics test development and information technology capabilities. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The divestiture of OralDNA represents a step in the company’s ongoing strategy to refocus its resources on its core diagnostic information services business for physicians and hospitals, drive operational excellence, and restore
There has been a steady proliferation of whitening products for dentists and consumers, with some in-office products containing high concentrations (35%) of hydrogen peroxide. In a recent study, Brazilian researchers set out to bolster the lack of published data regarding how bleaching can impact the mechanical properties of dental tissues (Journal of Dental Research, December 14, 2012). They took a molecular-level approach and found that high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today issued a draft guidance document to assist pharmaceutical companies in developing new formulations of opioid drugs that have abuse-deterrent properties. The document, “Guidance for Industry: Abuse-Deterrent Opioids — Evaluation and Labeling,” explains the FDA’s current thinking about the studies that should be conducted to demonstrate that a given formulation has abuse-deterrent properties, how those studies will be evaluated by the agency, and
Q: What is your technique for indirect restorations in your office, without sending it to a lab? A: There are many ways to fabricate indirect restorations in the office. The high-tech answer is to use CAD/CAM technology with either Cerec or E4D. You take a digital scan of the prepared tooth, then you can easily mill either a composite or porcelain restoration. This is probably the easiest way to fabricate
The rising incidence of cancers associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) shows a need to increase HPV vaccination coverage levels, according to a report in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (January 7, 2013). Despite the decline in cancer death rates in the U.S., the rate of HPV-associated cancers has increased, the report noted. The American Cancer Society (ACS), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Cancer Institute,
A Kentucky start-up has developed a manual toothbrush with an embedded sensor that maps brushing behavior and sends the data to an associated smartphone app via Bluetooth. The free app, developed by Beam Technologies for Android or Apple iOS, tracks brushing habits, including frequency and duration, as well as time spent in each quadrant of the mouth. Users sync data to the smartphone app by pushing a button on the
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded Shiela Strauss, PhD, a professor of nursing at the New York University Colleges of Nursing and Dentistry, a two-year, $336,433 grant to study diabetes screening in dental patients. The R15 grant builds on Dr. Strauss’ earlier work of assessing the accuracy, acceptability, feasibility, and consequences of using oral blood to screen patients with periodontal disease for diabetes in periodontal practices, according to
The Bay Area Sleep Apnea Oral Appliance Center has received program accreditation from the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM). Accreditation means that the center has passed the AADSM’s standards of proficiency, practice, and professionalism. It is the first clinic in the San Francisco Bay Area to gain AADSM accreditation, according to the center.
